


A Journey of the Heart

by splixx



Series: The Frozen Forest Territory [1]
Category: Original Work, Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Alaska, Alaskan Clan, Background Character(s), Cats, Clans, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual relationship, F/F, Found Family, Found Family Dynamics, Friends to Lovers, Gay, Gay Character(s), Kittypets, LGBT, LGBT Character(s), Lesbian, Lesbian Character(s), Lesbians, M/M, Man Loves Man, Minor Original Character(s), Nature, Original Animal Character(s) - Freeform, Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Original Gay Character(s) - Freeform, Original LGBT Character(s) - Freeform, Original Lesbian Character(s), Original Male Character(s) - Freeform, Original Warrior Cats Character(s), POV Alternating, POV Multiple, Rated T for minor swearing, Subplots, Warrior Cats, Woman Loves Woman, growing fondness, mlm, original clan, slowburn, warriors - Freeform, wlw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:09:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26307586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/splixx/pseuds/splixx
Summary: Stormheart was always firm in her belief that a kittypet could never be a warrior. They were too weak and softened by the life of luxury having a collar granted them to ever survive out in the wild.However, when a lost kittypet stumbles into camp with the intent to join their ranks, Stormheart's patience is truly put to the test when she's assigned as her mentor.As if life couldn't possibly get any worse, the two are captured by a twoleg and are taken miles and miles away from their home.If Stormheart ever hopes to make it back, she realizes that she'll have to work with this annoying kittypet to make her way back home.
Relationships: Bearclaw/Harecry, Stormheart/Honey
Series: The Frozen Forest Territory [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2127582
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**ALLEGIANCES**

**TundraClan**

**Leader**

**Twigstar**

a lean, long-legged tom with dusty brown fur and yellow eyes

**Deputy**

**Rockfrost**

a large, muscular she-cat with sleek black fur and icy blue eyes

**Medicine Cat**

**Lightpath, Ashpaw's mentor**

a scrawny yellow tom with light blue eyes

**Warriors**

**Stormheart, Honeypaw's mentor**

a gray and white tabby she-cat with orange eyes

**Bearclaw, Lionpaw's mentor**

a huge, long-furred brown tom with a scarred face and two bottom snaggleteeth

**Harecry**

a long-legged, quick-footed tom with tall ears, a stumpy tail, dusty cream fur, and green eyes

**Sunchaser**

agile light brown tom

**Blackthorn**

a black she-cat with spiky fur

 **Thrushfrost, Treepaw's mentor** ****

nimble silvery-gray tom with orange eyes

**Palesky**

tall tom with a cream, long-furred pelt

**Petalwind**

a dusky brown she-cat

**Beetlewing**

black she-cat

**Blackbird, Fishpaw's mentor**

long-furred black she-cat with green eyes

**Timbercreek**

tortoiseshell she-cat

**Sweetflower**

red-brown she-cat with thick neck fur

**Robinstrike**

short-tailed red-brown tom with yellow eyes

**Apprentices**

**Honeypaw**

a round, gold and white she-cat with yellow eyes who is seventeen moons old

**Lionpaw**

a light cream tabby she-cat with blue eyes and a tufted tail

**Treepaw**

light brown tabby she-cat

**Fishpaw**

silver tabby tom with a white muzzle and blue eyes

**Ashpaw**

a dark gray and white tom

**Queens**

**Sprucewish**

fluffy cream tabby she-cat who is the mother of Treepaw, Fishpaw, Squirrelkit, and Peachkit

**Spottedpetal**

a white she-cat with black spots and black whiskers who is the mother of Lightkit, Lakekit, and Rowankit

**Cloudleap**

a blue-gray and white she-cat with a bushy tail who is the mother of Ashpaw and Cricketkit

**Elders**

**Mumblespeck**

an orange tabby tom with a white belly

**Rushpoppy**

white she-cat with a missing ear

**Kits**

**Squirrelkit**

cream tabby she-cat

**Peachkit**

light red-brown tom with a white chest and paws

**Lightkit**

a white and black she-cat

**Lakekit**

brown fluffy she-cat

**Rowankit**

sleek brown tabby tom with green eyes

**Cricketkit**

gray and white tabby she-cat

** TreeClan **

**Leader**

**Snowstar**

a white she-cat with black speckles on her face and tail

**Deputy**

**Crowtail**

a dark gray tom with a fluffy tail

**Medicine Cat**

**Leafwing, Frostgaze's mentor**

a dark brown she-cat

**Warriors**

**Sweetbush**

a fluffy ginger tabby she-cat

**Poppyfreckle, Owlpaw's mentor**

a tan tom with brown spots and a crippled back leg

**Hawksky**

a scruffy black tom

**Nightbreeze**

a black she-cat

**Windstep, Branchpaw's mentor**

a silver tabby tom

**Wolfear**

a big, dark gray she-cat with large ears

**Icywhisker**

a white tom with long whiskers

**Cloudrush**

a light gray tom with black splotches

**Daisyblaze**

a burly golden tabby she-cat with a small muzzle and tufted ears

**Apprentices**

**Frostgaze**

a silver she-cat with gray-blue tabby stripes and paralyzed back legs

**Owlpaw**

a cream and brown tom

**Branchpaw**

a light brown she-cat

**Queens**

**Seedleaf**

a brown she-cat with a white chest patch; mother to Branchpaw, Owlpaw, and Foxkit

**Skydream**

a beautiful silver and white she-cat with yellow eyes; mother to Streamkit and Iciclekit

**Elders**

**Hollowtree**

a brown and black tom

**Rootwhisker**

a calico she-cat

**Kits**

**Foxkit**

a brown she-kit with a dark brown tail

**Iciclekit**

a silver tom

**Streamkit**

a light gray she-kit with black splotches

**SleetClan**

**Leader**

**Eaglestar**

white and brown tom with amber eyes

**Deputy**

**Cragclaw**

a light golden-brown tabby tom

**Medicine Cat**

**Icelake, Cherrypaw's mentor**

a beautiful silver she-cat with pale blue eyes and long belly fur

**Warriors**

**Flyspring**

an agile gray she-cat

**Acorntooth**

a red-brown tom with a darker tail and chest

**Palewater**

a pale cream she-cat with green eyes

**Appleheart, Birdpaw's mentor**

a ginger tom with a cream patch on his chest

**Leapingfish**

a slender tortoiseshell she-cat

**Graycloud**

a fluffy dark gray tom

**Salmonbounce, Lilypaw's mentor**

a black and white she-cat with a red-brown streak running from her cheeks to her flanks

**Tawnybranch**

a brown and gray tom

**Barkmoss**

a golden tabby tom

**Apprentices**

**Cherrypaw**

a red-brown she-cat with a fluffy tail

**Birdpaw**

a scrawny cream tom

**Lilypaw**

a short cream she-cat with a white muzzle

**Queens**

**Lynxwillow**

a cream she-cat with darker flecks on her sides and tufted ears; mother of Birdpaw, Lilypaw, Patchkit, Hopkit, and Beekit

**Softsong**

a gray-blue she-cat with amber eyes; mother of Butterflykit and Fernkit

**Hollydream**

a red-brown and white she-cat; mother to Cherrypaw and Pinekit

**Elders**

**Feathertuft**

a pale gray she-cat with poor vision

**Kits**

**Patchkit**

a chubby brown and gray tom

**Hopkit**

a brown tom with gray spots on his face and legs

**Beekit**

a cream she-kit with tufted ears

**Butterflykit**

a golden tabby tom

**Fernkit**

gray-blue tom with yellow eyes

**Pinekit**

a red-brown she-kit

**Cats Outside of the Clans**

**Thornfang**

a big, muscled brown and white tom with a scarred back and chest, as well as an extra long fang

**Blaze**

a sleek red-brown and white tabby she-cat with fluffy cheeks

**Charlie**

a former kittypet tom with brown and white tabby fur

**Izzy**

a short brown and white tabby she-cat; Charlie's sister

**Scratch**

a thin white she-cat with orange blotches and bald spots from itching

**Shard**

a big black tom with icy blue eyes

**Dart**

a ginger tom with a white face, belly, and paws


	2. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to meet Stormheart, and things aren't exactly going well for her.

_"Where on earth is she?"_

It was a pleasantly warm day on this particular leaf-fall morning, the first they'd had in several days. The sun mapped the outlines of the bristling pine trees and the grand rolling fields, the grass rippling with gold as a mild breeze whisked by. Water gurgled over smooth blue stones in a lake that wound through the trees, a soothing sound that matched the occasional twitter or tweet from the birds resting in the branches above, who watched on with inclined heads and beady eyes as two shapes strolled on below the overhead canopy.

"Give 'er time," a second voice replied through a mouthful of fur, a large rabbit dangling limply from her jaws. Its elongated feet dragged through the grass and soot as the black feline padded along a path flattened by generations of pawsteps. "'Eaf-bare's comin'. Prey's gettin' 'arder to find."

"Don't you think she should've found something by now?" the cream-pelted tom inquired with a snort. He shifted his weight to adjust the speckled kestrel and the mouse he was carrying on his back. "It can't be that hard for her. She's Miss-Oh-So-Capable, isn't she?"

"Palesky," the black she-cat growled, glaring at him icily from the corner of her eye. She stopped in her tracks to drop the plump rabbit on the ground to face him, her ears moving to sit on the back of her skull. "You need to get over your personal little vendetta with Stormheart. I'm sure Twigstar doesn't want to hear about your complaining again."

Palesky opened his mouth to protest, but was cut short when the sound of rustling bushes disturbed the lull of the forest.

The two turned to face a section of bushes that seemed to shake harder once they had set their attention on it, and with a mighty heave, another cat wrestled herself out of the twining branches and leaves with an agitated huff through her nose.

"Hi, Blackthorn," the gray she-cat greeted in between gulps of air, refusing to acknowledge the pale tom glaring at her for her abrupt intrusion. She used a white paw to nudge a small mouse towards them, its limp posture and bloodied mouth indicative of its demise. "Sorry for showing up late. This was the only thing that didn't escape from me."

Palesky let out a small _tsk_. "Really? A mouse is all you could manage, Stormheart?"

Stormheart's pupils thinned down to slivers at his remark, the skin of her muzzle wrinkling to express her displeasure. "Don't be a kit," she snapped. "This isn't a competition."

Blackthorn glanced from one cat to another, curling her lip. "Okay, you guys, let's not get into it. Let's just bring back what we caught and call this hunting patrol a day."

Stormheart and Palesky exchanged steely glares for a couple of heartbeats before the gray she-cat budged first, albeit reluctantly, grabbing her meager mouse with a grumble under her breath. She proceeded to walk on ahead, her head held low beneath her shoulders.

Blackthorn fastened her teeth in her rabbit's scruff and pressed on not too far behind the other she-cat, with Palesky falling in tow.

The brilliant rays of the sun slanted through the gaps and cracks of the pine trees, dappling their fur with a shimmering gold as they set off to return to TundraClan camp.

********

The mouse Stormheart was carrying was unceremoniously dropped in the fresh-kill pile, the warrior too caught up in her onslaught of thoughts and the agitation brewing inside of her to care where it landed.

She wordlessly left Blackthorn and Palesky to their own devices, storming off toward the center of camp.

Around her, cats of all shapes, sizes, and colors conversed and reclined in the pale morning light, the balminess of the air easing their spirits and lightening the atmosphere.

The clearing, bordered by looming pine trees and a resilient wall of thorn bushes to ward off intruders, bustled with activity, each and every cat having something that was taking up their time.

Several fox-lengths away, Robinstrike was entering the nursery with a mouthful of magpie to be shared with his mate, Sprucewish.

Out of the corner of her eye, Stormheart saw Ashpaw being followed by his little sister, Cricketkit, and just two fox-lengths away sat Lightpath, who was watching Ashpaw's ordeal from the stone entryway of the medicine den with an amused grin.

Opposite from the three, elders Mumblespeck and Rushpoppy were sprawled out on flat stones, basking in the sun as they told stories to Spottedpetal's kits.

Still, even with the beating sun and the peacefulness in the air, Stormheart's sour mood did not taper.

She sullenly approached the leaders' den, a stack of carefully placed mossy stones and plants that were shaped into an entryway in the center, where spindly vines grew from the cracks and draped over the entrance like a green pelt. The gray she-cat nudged the overhang of vines out of the way, quietly slipping into the den that was far larger on the inside than it appeared on the outside, with the ground dug in to create a spacious dip that could house up to five warriors.

"Dad?" she mewed tentatively, her eyes shedding a faint amber glow in the mask of darkness that swallowed her as she plunged even deeper into the den.

Two tall ears twisted to face her, and with it, the pointed face of the TundraClan leader settled his full attention on his daughter.

Across from where he sat on his bed of moss, Rockfrost, his deputy, accompanied him in the same posture, icy blue eyes watching her blankly.

"Oh, Stormheart!" Twigstar greeted, a smile slipping onto his pointy muzzle. "It's good to see you. I see you're back from the hunting patrol. I was just discussing something with Rockfrost here."

"Yup." Stormheart nodded in affirmation, feeling somewhat perturbed by the large deputy's unyielding and unreadable expression. She looked away and dug a front paw into the soil beneath her. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, no, not at all," Twigstar quickly affirmed. He glanced back over at Rockfrost, dipping his head. "We can discuss border patrols later. Rock, you're excused for now."

The big she-cat nodded, hoisting herself to her paws and making a move for the exit. On her way out, she paused to lightly nudge Stormheart with her strong shoulder. She maintained eye contact wordlessly for a moment before slipping past and into the clearing.

Stormheart stared after her rapidly shrinking form in silence, blinking briskly. She turned to meet her father's concerned expression. "What was that about?"

"She could tell that you're not feeling alright," Twigstar stated as if the answer was simple, rising to his feet and padding over to his daughter to briefly touch his nose to her own. "And so can I. Is something bugging you?"

Stormheart blinked slowly before releasing a heavy sigh, her shoulders drooping as if suddenly the weight of the world was lying on her back. "It was Palesky again. He mocked me because I only managed to catch a mouse today." She huffed scornfully, averting her gaze to glare at the wall like it had annoyed her too.

Bathing in the cool shadows of the leaders' den in an attempt to let it calm her, she closed her eyes, feeling as weary as a sickly elder. "It's just...I feel like everyone's expecting me to live up to their high expectations, you know?"

Twigstar nodded slowly, his eyes gentle and understanding. He settled down into a sit, gesturing with his tail for her to do the same. Once she was seated, he cleared his throat, the gears turning in his head as he thought of what to say, how to comfort her. This wasn't the first time Stormheart felt like this, and no matter how many times he told her different, it seemed like the rest of the Clans' opinions of her far outweighed any sense of self-confidence she had left. The TundraClan leader truly worried for her more often than he would like.

"Dad," Stormheart began, the softness of her meow tearing Twigstar from his thoughts. "I think they wish I was more like Ravenlily."

_Ravenlily._ Now there was a name he tried not to think about too often, yet it returned to him every night in his dreams in the shape of warm fur, the gentle nudge of a muzzle against his shoulder, the familiar face that gazed at him adoringly, and the sweet scent of flowers that belonged to the cat he had loved, but had since long lost so many seasons ago.

"Stormheart," Twigstar meowed finally, his words gentle, softer than the footsteps of a mouse. He shut his eyes and leaned forward to rest his nose on the top of her head. "The cats who judge you, the cats who try to get you to become somebody else entirely, they are wrong. They have no clue how strong, how capable, how intelligent you truly are, but they don't have to understand. They don't have to get you."

Twigstar opened his eyes once more and stood. "You don't have to prove your worth to anybody, my dear."

Stormheart managed a tense smile, though she could still feel the sting of Palesky's words and the remarks other cats had made in the past. "I know, but...it's hard. I just want to be valued for _me_ , not for what they want me to be."

"I know, darling."

Twigstar swept a tender lick across the wiry fur on her forehead, allowing them both to have a moment of silence to ease the tension.

He hated seeing her hurt. He wished he could change other cats' minds with a flick of his paw, convince them that Stormheart didn't need to be a clone of her mother to be worthy, but much to his frustration, it wasn't that simple. There would always be the hard-headed and the ignorant.

Then, like a flash of lightning, an idea came to him in a burst.

"Stormheart," he began. "Meet me back here during the night, when everyone else is asleep. Go on and get some rest; I'll have Rockfrost wake you at sundown."

Stormheart blinked, her somber mood momentarily forgotten as she looked at him in both surprise and confusion. "...What? Why?"

"I have something to show you," Twigstar replied vaguely. "Something that might help. Now go, go, go! You're gonna be awake for a little while once the sun goes down!" He nudged her towards the exit hastily, eyes gleaming.

"You're so confusing!" Stormheart retorted, yet in spite of his absurd behavior, complied and made her descent to the warriors' den.

Watching as she vanished in the leafy shelter of the warriors' den, Twigstar allowed himself to sigh, muscles loosening. He turned a hopeful eye up towards the sky, a baby blue banner decorated with swathes of clouds.

"Ravenlily," he began in a whisper, "if you're watching us now...please give her the strength to believe in her worth. Give her something to look forward to in her life. Anything."


End file.
